Basis: the 2026 IPREM at €600/month, unchanged since 2021. A couple needs to show around €3,000/month; with one child, around €3,600/month.
The central restriction: it does not authorise work
This is the line that separates the non-lucrative visa from every other route, and the one most often misread by English-language guides. It permits you to live in Spain, not to work there — and "work" includes remote work for a company outside Spain.
If your money comes from active work rather than from capital or a pension, the right route is the digital nomad visa, which asks for a higher income (€2,442/month) precisely because it does authorise activity.
What gets refused: proving the source, not the balance
A statement showing a large sum sitting in an account usually is not enough. The consulate is assessing whether you have recurring income you can sustain for a year in Spain: a pension, rental contracts, dividends, an investment history. Capital without a demonstrable income stream is the single most common reason for a request for further documents.
Documents typically required
- Form EX-01 and proof of fee payment;
- Passport with sufficient remaining validity, with a full photocopy;
- Criminal record certificate (generally issued within the last 3 months), legalised or apostilled;
- Recent medical certificate;
- Proof of financial means and of the source of the periodic income;
- Proof of accommodation in Spain;
- Health cover valid in Spain, public or private.
The definitive list is always the one published by the consulate with jurisdiction over your place of residence — requirements and document validity windows vary between consulates.
If this is not your route
Working remotely for clients outside Spain? See the digital nomad visa. Coming to study? See the student visa. Retiring? The mechanics are the same as this page, with the practical detail set out in retiring in Spain. Still unsure, the side-by-side comparison puts every route together.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do I need for the Spain non-lucrative visa in 2026?
400% of the IPREM for the main applicant — €2,400 per month, around €28,800 a year — plus 100% of the IPREM (€600 per month) for each family member. The IPREM has been €600 per month since 2021.
Can I work on a non-lucrative visa?
No. The name is literal: it authorises you to live in Spain, not to work there. That includes remote work for a foreign employer. If your income comes from active work, the correct route is the digital nomad visa.
Is the non-lucrative visa the same as a Spain retirement visa?
Spain has no visa called a "retirement visa". The non-lucrative visa is the route retirees use, because pension income is exactly the kind of passive, recurring income it was designed for. See retiring in Spain.
Is this the replacement for the Golden Visa?
For much of the audience, yes in practice. The residence-by-property-investment programme closed in April 2025. People who were looking at that route usually fit either here or in the digital nomad visa.
Does savings in the bank count as income?
Often not on its own. What is assessed is periodic, sustainable income — pension, rent, dividends, documented investment returns. A large balance with no demonstrable source tends to trigger a request for more documentation rather than an approval.
What documents are usually required?
Typically: form EX-01 and the fee receipt, a passport with sufficient validity, a recent criminal record certificate, a recent medical certificate, proof of financial means and of the source of that income, proof of accommodation in Spain, and health cover valid in Spain. Each consulate publishes its own list and its own validity windows.
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores — visado de residencia no lucrativa requirements (consular sheet) in force since Jan 2025
- IPREM 2026 — official monthly value (€600/month) in force since 1 Jan 2026
- Reglamento de Extranjería — RD 1155/2024 (BOE) in force since 1 Jan 2026